We Will Rise Again
by Ztarlight
Summary: A follow-up to In The Ashes. Gir reflects on the past year. (Yes, this is a 9/11-based fic. You have been officially notified.)


[A/N - It's been a whole year now, hasn't it? While my views on September 11th have changed quite a bit since the incident, I know that there are others who still feel the same... this is for them. It's amzing how much we've seen, how much we've learned... how much we've lost. Yet, I believe we can gain something from this: we can gain an understanding of how important unity is to our contry. True, we are all ashamed that it took such a tragedy to being us together, but as each day progresses, we form righter bonds with out neighbors, tighter bonds with our fellow Americans.  
  
Or... do we?  
  
The true horror of wars past have been forgotten as generations progressed, and I'm sure that with time, the same thing will happen to the events of 9/11/01. That is why I brung this fic to you. Again, it is a follow-up to my story "In the Ashes" (http://www.fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=404123). I suggest reading that first so you have a better idea of what's going on here. They are here as a reminder to never forget what hatred can do, and why it must be stopped.  
  
"Remember this day:  
9/11/01  
The Day the Towers Fell"  
  
"We Were In the Ashes, and Now We Will Rise Again."  
  
---  
  
We Will Rise Again  
  
  
It had been a whole year now.  
  
How the memories came rushing back. In his dreams - no, his nightmares - he could still hear the screams, feel the rushing air from the plane, see the World Trade Center Towers collapse right before his eyes. Every now and then, he looked out the window, hoping to find the identical structures rising up to meet the horizon in the distance. But they were never there. Times had changed. And when times change, everyone changes.  
  
No doubt about it, since that day, Gir had changed dramatically. And Zim was really beginning to worry.  
  
It was no wonder that anyone who knew the wild bot would worry. It had been days after before he smiled, and even then they never lasted long. Eventually, after enough time had passed, Gir started to relax, and for a while he was back to his old crazy self. Yet there was one thing Zim didn't count on - Gir's subconcious.  
  
What really made Gir different from was SIR was his personality traits. A sir did what it was told; Hir was loyal, but was able to choose his actions. Aside from free will, he carried the ability to feel emotion, and perhaps this was a cause of his dreams.  
  
Zim dind't know that Gir could dream. Sleep, yes. Dream? No. Before the incident, Gir would often run around in the morning yelling about something really cool he did or saw, but Zim just figured it was an after effect of watching infomercials at 2 AM. Yet after that day, Zim began to wonder if maybe Gir's stories meant something.  
  
By now, the dreams were less frequent. Even still, Zim had lost count of the number of nights hw would awake with a start. Gir would run into the room, panicking like he had never panicked before, and Zim would yell at him to be quiet. Eventually, Gir's whimpers would diminsh, but under the soft glow of the blue moonlight, Zim could always see the whisps of doubt and fear that reflected in Gir's cyan eyes.  
  
Gir would never talk about the about the dreams, not would he say why. He'd just put on a goofy smile and jam some cupcakes down his throat, trying to hide what he felt. Yet every noe and then, he'd mutter something about a building going "kaboom" and that he needed to save his master. Then he'd switch to red mode and stay that way until he tackled Zim in his embrace, knowing he was safe.  
  
Right now, he was at his usual perch on the windowsill, waiting hoping wishing praying, that everything would be okay, that the hurt and the pain would stop, and no one would be sad.  
  
Zim walked by the room and did a double-take. Gir was still there, he had been there... oh geeze, Zim had lost track of the time. At least two hours, gazing beyond the horizon with that meloncholy glint in his eye.  
  
Zim frowned. It reallt bothered him to see Gir so... serious. Now that Gir was taking everything so sseriously, Zim realized just how much he much he liked the old Gir... how much he even even loved the old Gir.  
  
(But what can I do...?) He thought. There was only one thing to do. Zim marched across the dusty cavern that was his attic and enveloped Gir in his arms.  
  
Gir was shocked, to say the least, but he enjoyed the affection, and nuzzled his face happily into Zim's shoulder.  
  
Zim gently stroked Gir's back. "Feel better?"  
  
"Yes," he chirped. "Thank you."  
  
"It's okay, Gir."  
  
"But is it really?"  
  
Zim looked staright into the robot's eyes. "Gir?"  
  
"It is really okay, Master? Is there always going to be hurt and mean things? Won't there even be a time when the world is happy?"  
  
Zim was silent. "I won't lie to you, Gir; I don't know. But keep the faith, and someday, there will be a world - no, a universe - where everyone is happy. And YOU will be the ruler."  
  
Gir stared wide-eyed at Zim. "Do you really think so, Master?"  
  
"Like I said Gir, I don't know. But keep dreaming, and never give up on your dreams."  
  
"Oh, okay!" Gir smiled proudly.  
  
Zim know the truth to his advice - by using it, he had progressed very far. Total domination of the Earth was not very far, is only he could keep *Dib* out of the way long enough. But right now, Zim had another focus, and that was his friend, Gir.  
  
They were friends.  
  
And as long as they stayed together,  
  
They would rise again.  
  
  
====  
  
Yes, I'm well aware that they're out of motherfucking character. But, can you honestly say that YOU still acted like your old self? 


End file.
